1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to computers, and more particularly to a method, system, and computer program product for implementing a remote basic input/output system (BIOS) on a multi-blade server.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Multiple blade servers are computers that consolidate high-density server boards (blades) in a single blade chassis (blade center chassis). Typically, a blade chassis accommodates multiple hot-swappable blades. The operations of the blades may be coordinated by management modules. Management modules may include a processor for controlling input/output functions, interfacing with a network (such as the Internet or a Local Area Network), and allocating jobs and data to the differing blades.
Currently, all blade servers that are part of a blade chassis or a stand-alone server require a user to physically come into contact with the unit if the user needs to perform functions associated with basic input/output system (BIOS), extensible firmware interface (EFI) or flexible service processor (FSP) menus. The user must bring additional hardware, such as a keyboard, monitor, and the like to the unit to access these menus and perform the functions. The inability for a user to remotely configure these menus becomes more problematic in a setting with multiple blade center chassis including a number of server blades. Furthermore, there is currently no centralized method to configure and manage the functions of a particular blade's BIOS/EFI/FSP within the management module.